


the art of not caring

by orphan_account



Category: Cobra Starship, The Academy Is...
Genre: Alternate Universe - High School, Homophobic Language, M/M, boys in makeup
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-02-20
Updated: 2018-02-20
Packaged: 2019-03-21 18:41:10
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,517
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13746978
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: william finds out that life is a lot more fun when you don't care what people think of you and consequentially gabe finds out that william is a lot more fun when he doesn't care what people think of him.





	the art of not caring

William likes dresses. He realizes this the afternoon he goes dress shopping with Gabe and Vicky for prom. Gabe and William are sitting outside the changing room as they wait for Vicky to show them option one. 

She comes out in a tight, long-sleeved, black lace dress. It's pretty, and for a flash of a moment. William wonders what it would feel like to wear something like that. He imagines the fabric hugging his hips and falling against  his mid-thigh. 

"Hm," Gabe says thoughtfully "Cute, but I want to see you in that purple one. You look nice in purple." Vicky rolls her eyes.

"God, how are you straight?" She mutters as she disappears back into the dressing rooms. 

"You should wear a dress to prom,"  Gabe says casually. William's eyes go wide, sometimes it feels like Gabe can read his mind.

"What– no, I wouldn't. Why would you even–?" He sputters "Don't be a dick, Gabe." William shoves his friend's shoulder. 

He really wishes he could wear a dress to prom.

...

William scrolls through the hashtag 'boyswearingmakeup' for a good hour that night. He watches about a thousand different tutorials. He finds the varied and complex routines every bit as interesting as the end results. 

Briefly, he considers sneaking into his mother's room, taking her makeup bag and trying to follow one of the tutorials, but his cheeks flush red with shame at the thought alone. 

William remembers when he was eleven and his sister was eight they were playing around with this little eyeshadow set their mother had bought for her at the grocery store after she'd spent the whole time begging. When his dad saw him with electric blue smudged on his eyes he ordered him to go clean it off immediately, when William asked why his father told him that makeup wasn't for boys.

William has always sort of liked feminine things. Makeup, dresses, skirts. It's not like he feels like a girl, he likes having a boy's body and he likes being referred to as a 'he', William just wishes that these things didn't mean certain clothing is off limits for him. 

...

On Sunday he goes to the mall with Gabe and Ryan, unfortunately his mother forces him to bring his thirteen year old sister with them.

"Ooh!" She says as they walk down the hallway "Can we go into Claire's?" William is about to tell her 'no' when Gabe, who loves his little sister and always humors her, chimes in. 

"Yes!" William glares at Gabe and Ryan mutters something about waiting outside. 

"I'm pretty sure if I set foot in Claire's either I would burst into flames or the store would," Ryan says. 

"Well, he's not wrong," Gabe snorts "C'mon, Bill, let's go help your sister pick out a glitter eyeshadow palette." 

"I hate you," William mutters, following Gabe into the store nonetheless. 

Gabe and his sister giggle and chatter away over a display of flower covered headbands. William  rolls his eyes at the two of them and inspects a rack of jewelry, most of it is really ugly. Cheap plastic jewels and cupcake earrings, but he finds himself interested in the stretchy plastic chokers. He picks up a black one and runs his fingers over the pattern.

Suddenly the choker is snatched out of his hands, he looks up to see Gabe holding it.

"You want this?" He asks, inspecting it.

"No– I," and then he sighs in resignation, lying to Gabe is pointless "yeah. Sort of." 

"I'll buy it for you," Gabe says, and when William opens his mouth to protest "I want to, really." So he shuts up and lets Gabe buy him the necklace.

...

William stares at himself in the bathroom mirror and takes a shaky breath. He adjusts the choker so it sits straight around his neck. 

"Are you wearing a choker?" His mother asks when he goes downstairs, her eyebrows are furrowed in concern. 

"Yeah," William says, blushing and staring down at his feet. His mother doesn't make any further comment. William is relieved when Gabe, who has driven William to school since he got his car, texts him saying he's outside waiting.

Gabe's face lights up when he sees William. 

"You're wearing the choker," he says as William slides into the passenger's seat. He's grinning. 

"Yeah," William says, smiling. Something about the choker makes him feel confident. 

"Well, it suits you," Gabe says. William blushes furiously and feels something flutter in his stomach.

...

The morning is uneventful, no one comments on his choker, in fact no one even glances twice at it. 

At lunch he's sitting with Ryan, trying to finish his reading for science before the bell rings when a boy he's never spoken to yells from a table away,

"Nice choker, faggot! Where'd you get it? Cocksuckers R US?" William's eyes widen and unconsciously his hand flies to touch the necklace. Thank god for Ryan because without hesitating he whips around in his seat and says,

"Nice personality asshole, where'd you get it? Obnoxious Pricks R US?" 

"Aw how cute," the asshole says, sneering "Your boyfriend is standing up for you." But after that he sits down. William immediately goes to tug the choker over his head. 

"What are you doing?" Ryan snaps. William sighs.

"What does it look like I'm doing?" 

"It looks like you're letting other people's opinions stop you from doing something you want to do," 

"You don't understand–" Ryan scoffs.

"Are you fucking kidding me? I write poetry and wear eyeliner, William. You think people don't give me shit?" 

"Well, I mean–" 

"No. Shut up and listen. If you let what other people think influence what you do, I swear to god you will be miserable." 

"How do I stop caring?" William pleads. 

"Just do what you want no matter how much it terrifies you, then eventually you'll stop caring." William nods and chews his lip thoughtfully. 

"Will you come shopping with me after school?" He asks. Ryan smiles. 

... 

When William goes out to meet Gabe the next morning he's wearing fishnets, shorts that just barely meet the dress code's length requirements and a cropped black shirt that reveals a strip of skin if he moves in a certain way. He's also wearing clear lipgloss and winged eyeliner.

"Oh my god," Gabe says, choking on his coffee. William narrows his eyes. 

"Do you have a problem with it?" He asks defensively. 

"No!" Gabe says "God, no. I have like, the opposite of a problem with it." He breaks into a grin. Slowly, an unsteady smile grows on William's face.

"Do you want to go to prom with me? As a date, not just a friend," William says in a dizzying rush. 

Gabe sort of looks at him blankly. William wishes he could eject himself from his seat and fly off into space for a moment before Gabe seems to fully realize what he's asked and says "Yes! Jesus, yes." And then they're both laughing breathlessly, nervously. 

William feels like his heart is opening up, blooming like a flower in the spring.

... 

William twists his hands together in a tight knot. He's waiting for Gabe to text him saying he's outside. His parents are sort freaked out by the whole wearing a dress to prom thing as well as the whole taking a boy to prom thing, so they don't really want to take pictures. 

He plays with the red lace at the hem of his dress as he stares anxiously at his phone screen. Finally the text comes and the tension in William's body loosens a little. 

He gets up, stumbling a little bit in his candy-red kitten heels. He stands up tall, squares his shoulders and ventures out of his room. It feels like he has to venture through enemy territory just to get out the front door.

"William?" His sister says in a small voice, poking her head out of her bedroom.

"Yeah?" William says nervously, glancing at his sister.

"You look nice, and I'm glad Gabe's your boyfriend," she says. William grins.

"Thanks, kid," he says and feeling a lot less anxious he walks carefully down the stairs, making sure not to trip and fall in his heels. His mother glances at him and offers a weak smile, he returns it. His father only turns away, but William's not going to let him ruin his night. 

He rushes out the door and slides into the passenger's seat of Gabe's car. 

"Hey," he says absently as he buckles himself in. Gabe is staring at him, transfixed with a giddy grin on his face.

"God," he says "You're gorgeous." William grins, and watches as Gabe chews his lip and then leans into him, pressing their lips together in a slow, reverent kiss, when they break apart Gabe continues to lean into his space. He brings a hand to rest on William's bare thigh where the dress is rucked up "Can I ask you something?" He murmurs into William's ear.

"What?"

"Are you wearing lingerie under that?" He asks, William grins wickedly. 

"You'll have to find out later."

**Author's Note:**

> I blushed so much writing the last scene and it wasn't even close to smut I'm too innocent for this world rip


End file.
